Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a group of disorders that affect the connective tissues that support the skin, bones, blood vessels, and many other organs and tissues. Abnormalities in connective tissues cause the signs and symptoms of EDS, which vary from mildly loose joints or hypermobile joints to life-threatening complications.
People who have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome usually have overly flexible joints and stretchy, fragile skin. A more severe form of the disorder, called Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, can cause the walls of your blood vessels, intestines or uterus to rupture.
Because this syndrome may affect the internal jugular vein, causing it to take up more space in the carotid sheath, it may put pressure on the Vagus nerve, resulting in autonomic dysfunction leading to CRPS.
Signs and Symptoms of EDS
There are two types of EDS: Hypermobile EDS, which affects joints, bones, and skin, and Vascular EDS, which affects your veins.
The most typical signs and symptoms of Hypermobile EDS include joint hypermobility (meaning that your joints are more flexible than normal, what is usually painful) in both large (knees, elbows) and small joints (toes, fingers), constant tiredness, internal organ problems, osteoporosis and chronic pain in muscles and bones.
Vascular EDS is the most common for people who have it in their family history, and the inheritance of this disease is autosomal dominant, meaning, a mutated gene from one parent can cause this disorder in a child.
People who suffer from Vascular EDS have very fragile blood vessels that sometimes can be clearly visible through the skin (especially on the upper chest and legs). As a result, their skin tends to bruise exceptionally easily.
Healing the Cause of EDS
At its core, EDS is caused by a malfunctioning autonomous nervous system. This magnificent system performs a multitude of functions throughout the body without us even being aware of it. It regulates and monitors every single organ, every function, every hormone, as well as nerves, muscles and bones. Consequently, when this system is blocked or malfunctions, all sorts of body functions will be seriously affected.
On the other hand, when this system is given the tools it needs to achieve a state of balance, signs and symptoms tend to resolve. The Spero Clinic has had many EDS patients who went from having very aggressive symptoms to being completely symptom-free.
Spero’s treatment, therefore, is centered around repairing and reactivating your nervous system so it will start doing its job in healing the body. This is not a quick or instantaneous process – it may take weeks, sometimes even several months. But Spero patients, who have gone through years of debilitating pain and intense physical problems, gladly take the time to heal.
The Road to Recovery
According to Founder and CEO of The Spero Clinic, Dr. Katinka van der Merwe, “At The Spero Clinic, our patients are family. We value the opportunity to help people reclaim control of their lives by addressing and overcoming their pain and the symptoms associated with it. Every case is unique, and so we take the time to develop a plan for each new patient to ensure they receive the most accurate therapies possible to provide relief.”
For Victoria, these words of hope became reality. “I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and after 30 years of struggling to maintain my mobility due to knee injuries, it appeared I was going to lose the battle. I was looking at life in a wheelchair plus a number of mounting medical conditions connected with this relentless, progressive, genetic condition that mainstream medical practitioners were not capable of treating.
“I came to The Spero Clinic as a last resort. Over a period of 4.5 months, a number of co-morbidities improved greatly or disappeared: plantar fasciitis is gone, broken blood vessels on my legs are gone, my psoas muscle pain is gone, my feet and ankles no longer hurt, my body temperature went up to normal, my POTS symptoms all but disappeared, my knees are a work in progress, but I am confident I will not be in a wheelchair. My mobility is improving.
“I have seen depressed. Hopeless patients like myself come in with all sorts of crippling symptoms related to CRPS and EDS who become functional, happy people, eager to now resume a ‘normal’, independent life. This whole-body approach is extremely effective. The staff is wonderful and supportive. The success rate is well into the 90 percent. There is nothing remotely similar in the regular medical profession. This place performs miracles.”
For more information about The Spero Clinic, go to www.thesperoclinic.com or call (479) 304-8202.
